


Earthly Concerns

by nairwal



Category: The Outer Worlds (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Background Relationships, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Dialogue Heavy, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Future Fic, Humor, IN SPACE!, Interplanetary Travel, Kissing, M/M, Multi, Multiple Pairings, Multiple Relationships, Open Relationships, Original Character(s), Politics, Polyamory, Post-Canon, Romance, Weird Plot Shit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:00:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24294001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nairwal/pseuds/nairwal
Summary: After many long years, Earth finally makes contact with Halcyon and its other colonies. Receiving their transmission would’ve been a good thing if Earth hadn’t slipped in the fact that they’d royally pissed off a planet full of hardened criminals and psychopathic fugitives while they’d been AWOL.The threat of revenge looms over the galaxy, the Halcyon system begins to worry, and ADA is being vaguely passive aggressive with the Captain. Just like always, it seems.(A.K.A., The Captain must use her skills to avoid an all-out war and protect the people of Halcyon. How hard can that be?)
Relationships: Everyone/Everyone, Felix Millstone/Original Male Character(s), Parvati Holcomb/Junlei Tennyson, The Captain/Ellie Fenhill, The Captain/Felix Millstone, The Captain/Maximillian DeSoto, The Captain/Nyoka (The Outer Worlds), The Captain/Original Male Character(s), The Captain/Parvati Holcomb
Comments: 7
Kudos: 16





	1. Reconciliation

**Author's Note:**

> This fic follows the storyline I’d followed and the decisions I’d made in my own game: passive where possible and extremely anti-Board. I gave power to the deserters at the Botanical Labs, leaving Edgewater without, but for the sake of keeping both factions alive, let’s keep Edgewater alive and well through the power of fiction!
> 
> The Stranger/Captain is female, unnamed, and the _Official Supervisor_ of all of Halcyon, with Stellar Bay Industries and the Iconoclasts working in unity across the system as the _Intermediate Supervisors_. The Unreliable is the Captain’s ‘office’ and the rest of the Unreliable’s crew are each in their respective roles as per the end credits, with some very minor changes. Nothing too crazy to remember, but I just wanted to include this info.
> 
> Phew. Okay, that’s settled. Let us commence... (>*￣▼￣)>

The Unreliable receives a transmission from Earth three years since the Restoration of the Halcyon system began and the fall of the Board had offered up a window of opportunity for the colony. It’s a short but explanatory message—discussing their radio silence and offering an apology at any confusion it’d caused. Apparently, they’d spent the last three years dealing with the threat of an all-out nuclear, inter-planet war which had suspended every single one of their communicative relationships while they worked through it. That included their relationship with Halcyon.

They also briefly discussed their debts. Since the colonies relied on Earth’s support on top of their own to function, and since Earth hadn’t been able to continue sharing their resources during the situation, they’ve written up an early-stage plan to reimburse all that is due. They emphasised how this plan was in its early stages, so there will most likely be no immediate results.

The Captain doesn’t expect much. But it’s nice to hear from home after such a long time.

What’s not as nice, though, is the second section of their transmission. Their threatened war was not—as expected—between two or more of their own countries, like its history has seen over and over again. Rather, they found themselves at odds with another planet, somewhere just outside of their own solar system, hanging onto its very outskirts. Masten.

It’s a small planet, probably half the size of Earth, if that, but it’s heavily populated with universally recognised criminals and crooked politicians. Any regular civilians eventually become one or the other, and it’s a vicious, inescapable cycle. Mastenians aren’t exactly known for their ability or willingness to co-operate. So, it’s really no surprise they found themselves drawing swords with Earth over a supposed armament deal gone wrong.

It’s all over now. The threat of war is gone, and safety has returned. For _Earth_ , at least. Masten is a wild, fiery mess on account of Earth wreaking havoc on the planet with its own weapons. The Captain finds herself wondering if Earth could’ve ended the conflict peacefully. After all, if it’s possible in Halcyon—between Sanjar and Zora, of all people—then surely it had been a possibility for Earth and Masten.

Or maybe it’s for the best. Maybe Masten really was a lost cause, determined on starting a pointless rivalry with Earth for whatever resources they could scrounge from them. But Earth’s approach… Sending troops across their system just to wreak havoc on the tiny planet, leaving it in disarray, and then returning home to celebrate their victory… It could prove a problem for Earth’s colonies. If Masten has ostracised itself like Monarch once had, if it considers everyone else an enemy, a lot of bad things could happen. 

The Captain isn’t sure. But she knows that something big is looming over them all, the feeling is practically tangible. She just can’t tell what it is. Not yet, anyway. If anything does happen, big or small, she’ll need people she trusts to work with her. Or at the very least, to support her in her trials.

“ADA,” The Captain voices aloud, presently, “Have you sent those messages yet?”

Only a second later, ADA’s robotic voice crackles through the walls of the Unreliable. “Yes, Captain. We are only awaiting their responses, so you must be patient. I did suggest that you visit the crew in person. It would be a much better decision than only sending memo’s. Felix and Parvati are situated on Groundbreaker, Nyoka is likely roaming the Monarch wilderness as we speak, and—”

“Yeah, yeah. I get it,” The Captain interrupts, pursing her lips. She hasn’t seen her former crew for a long while. Too long. Years—two, maybe even more. She hasn’t seen Vicar Max since they rescued Phineas from Sophia Akande, which was three years ago. It’s a complete mess. The Captain likes to think they were a somewhat weird family, that they are _still_ a (somewhat weird) family, even if she hasn’t made any effort to keep in contact.

And the Captain knows that it’s her fault if their friendships have dwindled, that it’s not anyone else’s. The blame lies firmly and solidly on the Captain’s shoulders. She has no excuses for being so quiet or so unresponsive or… The thing is, the Captain has been run-down lately. If ‘lately’ translates to ‘since Phineas Welles decided to revive her from her frozen, comatose state’, then yes. She has been run-down _lately_.

Still. The rest of her crew (ex-crew, _ex-crew_ ) deserve to know about Earth’s message, even if only for peace of mind. The news will spread quickly throughout the Halcyon system once it’s shared, regardless, but they each deserve to hear it from the source. Or the first person to receive the message, at least.

The Captain had asked ADA to shoot the crew a message earlier—an invitation for them all to meet up, maybe share a drink or two (or twelve, in Nyoka’s case) and discuss what’s been going on in their lives recently. How they’re holding up in the new and improved Halcyon. How life is where they have decided to spend theirs. And discuss Earth, if only for a while, to share the news. It should be comforting knowing the Captain will be sharing familiar space with the old crew, but she’s worried. She has drifted from them and she’s concerned the gap between them all has grown too large for things to ever be like they used to.

Best to just buckle up. Face it head-on. After all, the Captain has survived far worse.

“Okay.” She sits up in her chair and swivels until she is facing ADA’s digital presence, face tinted red and blinking. “Fine. We’ll go and see Felix and Parvati first. Take us to the Groundbreaker.”

The Captain knows that ADA doesn’t smile very often, but she certainly seems happy with this decision.

*

Groundbreaker will never change. It looks a little cleaner and runs a little smoother thanks to Junlei, Parvati, and their extensive engineering team, but it’s still the same at heart. A place full of life and colourful lights and so much _sound_. The Captain tries her best to wade through the busy promenade without being spotted, chin to her chest, but it’s hard to show face anywhere in the Halcyon system and go unnoticed. She’s important in its history, she’s the people’s Official Supervisor. It’s all part of the job, even if it became tiresome very early on.

“Hey, Official!” A muddied stranger calls over the ambience of the ship interior, his voice drawing the attention of nearby workers and pilots, who turn to stare with wide eyes and gaping mouths. “Nice seein’ you out and about! And thanks for, well... You know. Everything.”

The Captain pauses in her step and glances at the man, itching to hide her face behind her hands. “Yeah. Thanks. See you.” 

And she wastes no time in continuing on her route, walking through the large double doors of the engineering cove where she is greeted by a rather frantic Parvati who paces back and forth across the metal floor. One side of her face is slicked with a line of black oil and there are red lines around her eyes which were no doubt imprinted by the rim of her protective goggles. 

She looks just like she always has. Young and fierce, but with a gentleness that always seemed to break through. Her old engineering overalls have been traded for the staple Groundbreaker uniform. It suits her.

“—and, listen, Jun, I swear there were no sprats down there last week!” Parvati says, voice loud and uncertain. “If there were, I woulda heard ‘em, y’know?”

Junlei appears from her office, hands on her hips. She meets the Captain’s eyes over Parvati’s moving form, her own wide in surprise, though she schools her expression in that professional way she’s always had. She turns to Parvati. 

“I know, sweetheart. I only asked because I seen one running around outside of Rest ‘n’ Go yesterday, and the last time we seen a sprat, they’d been below deck where you had been working.” She steps forward to place a peck on Parvati’s clean cheek, a careful hand at her waist. “It’s alright. Don’t worry about it,” She turns to the Captain. “It seems like our exterminator has arrived, anyway.” 

Parvati blinks in confusion, turning to follow Junlei’s line of sight, and she freezes in place. The Captain imagines the worst—maybe Parvati is upset, after all, who wouldn’t be? The Captain has made such little effort to keep in touch—but the kid only erupts into a high-pitched, almost disbelieving giggle, beaming wildly, and pulls the Captain into a bone-crushing hug.

“Oh, Ma’am! _Captain_!” Parvati exclaims into the Captain’s armoured shoulder, arms tight around her shoulders. “It’s so nice to see you. You have no idea! It’s—” She pulls back almost sheepishly, glancing at Junlei and then back again. “Oh, it’s been so long. I missed you. Really.”

And, Law, that makes the Captain feel almost sick with guilt. It sits low in her stomach, heavy and uncomfortable, but she ignores it. It’s nothing a little Ollie Ollie Toxifree can’t fix.

“It’s nice to see you, too, Parvati,” The Captain says, a smile breaking onto her own face despite everything she is feeling. “You look good—healthy. I take it Junlei’s been taking care of you?”

Junlei smiles, close-mouthed. “Yes. We have been looking after each other.”

“And the Groundbreaker!” Parvati intones happily.

“Yeah. It looks good,” The Captain says, and it does. It looks _mighty_ good. “You’ve done the ship a service, one it deserves. Both of you. I’m proud.”

Parvati bites her bottom lip. Her eyes are wet. “Oh, Ma’am. Thank you.”

The moment drags out for a long second before the Captain clears her throat awkwardly, breaking it. “I’m here for… well, not business, per se. I have news. It’s important. Wanted to let you know before it makes its rounds.”

With a look of trepidation, Parvati frowns. “Yeah? Huh. I hope it’s good news. We can—we can talk in Junlei’s office if you want some privacy…”

“No, no.” The Captain interrupts and flexes her fingers, uncharacteristically nervous. Three years of non-stop work and renovation and energy and sheer _effort_ has rendered her a near shell of who she once was. It doesn’t help that she has so much to show for it—Law, she has _everything_ to show for it—but she’s still so exhausted. Maybe with time, she’ll return to herself. She’s just so tired.

“I actually need you to come with me. Only to the Unreliable, just for a while. We need to have this conversation somewhere comfortable. It’s not exactly big news. Yet.” The Captain pauses to size up the look on Parvati’s face. She can’t quite tell what the girl is thinking, which is new. She’s usually an open book. “I still have to reach out to Felix and Ellie and…”

“Yes!” Parvati almost shrieks in her excitement. A couple of engineers glance their way and she quickly retreats into herself at the sudden outburst. “Sorry. I was excited. I mean, yes. I’ll come with you. And I’ll help you find the others. It’ll be real nice to see the Unreliable again.”

For only a second, the Captain can almost believe that everything will be fine.

*

“Felix is down here, you said?” The Captain asks with a frown. Parvati shrugs.

“I think so. We don’t… talk as much as we used to. He’s always so busy helping out around the ship, even travelling to other places all over Halcyon to collect resources and whatnot. And I’m up to my knees in work, too. Our schedules clash.”

The Back Bays are almost unrecognisable these days. The Captain supposes that’s for the best. Where it was once a dark and dirty makeshift home for the deserted individual or marauder, it now contains a multitude of essential services for the people on Groundbreaker. There’s a private resting space near the elevator with small bedrooms that service those who work on the ship, fit with a kitchenette, as well as a lounge area. 

There’s a couple of storage rooms that hold Law-knows-what, various workbenches and plenty of areas for people to set up markets and temporary stores. It’s cute. It’s well-lit and clean, which is probably the most jarring aspect. 

The space here has been used well, efficiently. And it’s still growing and evolving. The Captain knows that Felix had a lot to do with these renovations—and with the removal of certain loiterers. Captain Macredd had taken some steady convincing to leave, but he did, eventually. After some persuasion. Maybe even some bribery or something about standing his guard not being worth it. He left the Groundbreaker over two years ago with his weapons holstered and no one has seen him since. 

In a strange way, the Captain hopes that he’s gone off to do something good, something worthwhile. Something that doesn’t include pirating his way across the cosmos with his guns cocked at the face of some innocent person. Maybe her optimism is getting away from her. 

Parvati roams across the expansive space and the Captain follows closely behind. It’s such a considerate difference to how it used to be, with the Captain so far ahead of everyone else. This is just another thing to add to the ever-growing list of how things have changed.

“Oh, hey! Look!” Parvati exclaims with glee. She points across the room to a group of people. “He’ll be over there. I forgot about his crowd. Gosh, my bad. C’mon, Cap!”

His ‘crowd’? Felix has a ‘ _crowd’_? The Captain follows wordlessly. Parvati seems excited, a small smile on her face as they approach the group of people. As they approach the edge of the group, the Captain notices with interest that each one of them are vastly different, not like the usual groups she has seen over the years. 

One man is largely built, has a wild, bushy beard, and wears a dark blue work uniform. Another seems younger, perhaps only nineteen or twenty, and his clean-shaven face shows off a sharp jawline. He wears a fitted cream shirt with slim, tapered trousers. 

There are two women who sport matching face tattoos—a single black swirl that caresses the skin around their respective right eyes. Even with the matching ink, one has a neat buzzcut and the other has long, flowing hair that glitters red underneath the swinging overhead lights. They all have one thing in common, however, and that is that their eyes are trained one person and one person only. Felix.

He looks good. A little older, maybe. Surer of himself, obvious in how he holds his shoulders square, his feet apart. His hair is longer, falling over his forehead in wavy strips. Other strands are tucked behind his ears. He dons an old, familiar streetwear outfit, though it is now fitted with various buttoned pockets and ammo pouches.

Parvati discreetly nudges the Captain with her elbow. Egging her on. Or—maybe not _that_ discreetly. Felix catches the movement out of the corner of his eye (he always was perceptive) and his hands reach for the gun at his side, or maybe his melee weapon of choice, but then he recognises them, and his face visibly relaxes, hand falling. He smiles warmly. 

It only lasts a second. His face becomes dark and thunderous at once and the Captain can barely open her mouth to say a simple ’hello’ before the man is in her face. 

“Are you kidding?” He snaps, a question phrased as a statement. His dark eyebrows are drawn down, anger written in the lines around his eyes. “We travel the entire Halcyon system together, we damn well _save_ it in the process, walking into the most dangerous places side by side, and then you disappear for three years? And you just—just show up, like—?”

With a dry mouth, the Captain holds her ground. Once upon a time, she would have yelled back, intimidated the kid, got into _his_ space, even if reluctantly, but she isn’t the same. She isn’t. So, she stays standing in the same spot, but her knees have started to feel weak.

“Felix,” The Captain interrupts, both hands palm-out in a weak surrender. “Listen. Listen, I—I have news. It’s really important.” She gestures to Parvati with a nod of her head. “I have Parvati here with me and we’re going to collect the others—” 

“Boss.” Felix’s face relaxes, but only a fraction. With a wave of his hand, he sends away his ‘crowd’, who grumble under their breath a little but disperse without much more fuss. Felix’s full attention is on the Captain now. It’s strangely unnerving. He’s always been good at reading people. 

“It’s been two years. _More_ than two years. You just—we shut down the Board from the top up, you sorted everything out in those first few weeks. We spread the news of peace across the entire system. You helped us get settled and then… You left. You didn’t write, didn’t get in contact. I missed you.” 

“Felix…”

He shrugs, looking away, over the Captain’s shoulder and into the far end of the Back Bays. His eyes are dark, but he doesn’t seem angry anymore. “I just wanna know why, you know? Why it took you so long. We were a _crew_ , boss. All of us. Together.”

The Captain is, rather regretfully, speechless. There are no words to express her guilt, to admit her failures and shortcomings, so she just reaches out with tentative hands and hugs Felix, hoping that it is enough. He squeezes the Captain back with as much enthusiasm, so she hopes… Well. She hopes.

When Felix pulls back, he nods, almost to himself. “Whatever it is, I’m in. You came here on the Unreliable?” 

The Captain nods. Finds her voice. “At the docking bay.”

“Right. Okay.” He brushes invisible dust from his hands. “Let me clear things up down here with my people and I’ll meet you there in ten?”

The Captain ignores the feeling of joy that blossoms in her chest. “Yeah. See you in ten.”

*

It takes fifteen minutes for Felix to show face, but the Captain isn’t in any immediate rush to leave. He enters the ship and the familiarity of it tugs at her heart. His eyes dart across the Unreliable’s interior—at the walls that he lived in and the things that he hasn’t seen before. Like the lockbox tucked into one corner of the entrance, the torn flag that hangs from the ceiling, and the harsh, woven rug underfoot. 

The Captain had been handed it as a gift, some sort of ‘thank you’ memento, for her work in and around Terra 2. She can barely recall the wrinkled old woman who’d given it to her, but she’d been kind and wore a pleasant smile underneath all of the grime. The rug is a little mis-matched overall, but then again, the ship is full of odd little decorations and titbits that follow no real theme. They simply mark milestones and events in the Captain’s life, and she likes it like that. They act as reminders, cautionaries. 

The Unreliable is so much more than a ship and it shows. It had once been but a mode of transportation between Halcyon’s colony. A mobile home. A safe place to sleep and eat and shower. But over the last three years, it has become, on top of this, an office for the Captain, a place where people seek her out for important business. For the occasional conference or meeting and whatnot. And it’s good. The Captain doesn’t _need_ anything else, and she would truly hate to own an office like those the old elite’s used to have—all big and gold-plated and diamond-lined and so, unbelievably, pretentious. 

She’d been offered one in Byzantium. She’d refused.

It’s nice to have somewhere so familiar to conduct her business. Which—most days, there is a lot of it. She has a lot of people who work with her to help ease the load somewhat and she’s forever thankful for them. It’s difficult, but it’s all part of the job description. And she’s capable. The decision to assign the Captain to such a tremendous role had been debated over the course of a week upon rescuing old Phineas from the Board’s grasp, but the decision had finally been made and settled in writing. Or… in digital words on a terminal, at least. It was all very informal. And that was that: The Captain was the Official Supervisor of all of the Halcyon system.

The rest of the Unreliable’s crew had turned down heftier roles when they’d been presented to them, opting instead to do their own thing. It’d been unfortunate, it would’ve been nice to have her old crew by her side as they progressed into uncharted territory, but the Captain had respected their choices. Phineas still resides in his laboratory, working tirelessly with the Hope by his side, nestled in the rings of Terra 2 like it rightfully belongs there.

Reviving the Hope colonists is proving to be a slow process, but Phineas is determined to keep the process as safe as he can. He had apologised for his previous mistakes, his unsuccessful experiments, and the Captain finds herself incapable of worrying about it—after all, they have the means and they have the time. When Phineas has a fool-proof and entirely non-lethal resuscitation process, then they will begin the revival of the Hope’s remaining passengers. The day will come, and it’ll be extraordinary.

A low whistling sound grabs the Captain’s attention. Felix is leaning against the door frame of the control room, one ankle hooked over the other. It’s just him; Parvati had escaped to the engine room the second she and the Captain had walked through the Unreliable’s door to make sure everything was in shape. She’s been gone a while, but the Captain is happy to leave her to it. The ship has changed, she’ll want to memorise it all again. Just like the first time.

“Looks good in here. A lot has changed, but… I can still see the old Unreliable underneath it all.” Felix cocks his head to the side, eyes sliding from the Captain’s but resting just beyond her head. “Hey, ADA. Looking good. Long-time no see, huh?”

ADA’s face flickers on-screen, casting a dim red light across the control room and all of its buttons and levers. “Hello again, Felix Millstone. Thank you for the compliment, even though I cannot look any different than I ever have. Sentiment understood. I have to admit that I am surprised the Captain managed to convince you to leave the Groundbreaker.”

The Captain frowns as Felix smirks. “Yeah. Me too, I quite like that old rust bucket. But the Boss is a real good persuader, always has been. I’m simply powerless to resist her propositions.”

“I’m right here, you know!” The Captain says incredulously, looking between her (traitorous) A.I. and her ex-crew member. “Right here. Sitting between you both.”

ADA blinks and blinks. “Yes, Captain. We are both aware of your presence. Are you not? Are you feeling dizzy again? Light-headed or nauseas? You have a steady supply of Bred Noodles in the kitchen refrigerator if you desire some nutritional sustenance to tackle any bodily issues you may be facing.”

And okay, great, ADA is looking out for the Captain and her health, even if she denies it in that faux-distant way she so often does, but now Felix is watching the Captain with an intensely curious, if openly worried, look. She doesn’t need this, not right now. She’ll deal with it later, when the time comes. When she can’t avoid it any longer. For now, though…

“I’m fine, ADA,” She says lowly, swivelling in her chair and away from Felix’s pressing gaze. The subject is swiftly changed. They still have work to do, after all. Important things to discuss. “Take us to Monarch. Nyoka is next on our list. Let’s hope she’s sober enough to talk.”

Felix pushes himself away from the door frame and retreats out of sight. ADA remains quiet while the Captain silently ruminates on the next steps in her plan. If things continue to go as smoothly as they have been, perhaps everything will be okay. It’d be silly to jinx herself, though, so the Captain simply rests her eyes for the short journey.

The Unreliable lurches forward.

*

Monarch is… well, _Monarch _. Not as densely populated of incredible wildlife like it previously had been thanks to a couple of large-scale violent excursions, but still posing a serious threat to the unprepared or weak-willed in its deepest, darkest corners. Nyoka must love it, even still. As long as there’s a bar and a long gun in her hands, she seems to find happiness.__

__The Captain steps down the exit ramp of the ship until her boots meet the landing pad and—well, she would take a deep breath in, but… it’s Monarch. _Law_. Unless she wants a lungful (or two) of sulphur, then it’s better to keep her human urges to herself._ _

__“You want company, Captain?” Parvati asks eagerly from the door. “It’s been a long while since I stepped outside the Groundbreaker. Can’t say I’ve missed the horrors of this specific place in my nostalgia… But, if you’d like, I’d be more than willin’ to tag along.”_ _

__The Captain smiles into herself, adjusts her armour where it has become loose around the forearm. “Of course, Parvati. If you need weapons, I have a chest inside—”_ _

__“I already picked some out earlier,” She mumbles guiltily, cheeks turning pink. “I got what I need, Captain. I hope you don’t mind. Oh, and Felix said he’ll stick with ADA until we make it back. Something about him being tired. Or hungry.”_ _

__With a vaguely disappointed-yet-not nod, the Captain checks and rechecks everything from her weapons to her armour again and they walk across the landing pad until the dry ground crunches beneath their steps. They traverse across the wilderness with a watchful eye, looking out for any raptidons or canids. It wouldn’t do anyone any good if the two of them were torn in half by a wild creature of Monarch, now, would it?_ _

__“Say…” Parvati begins, some ten minutes later. “You don’t happen to know _where_ Nyoka is? Like, exactly? For sure? Doesn’t she have a permanent camp or something?”_ _

__The Captain frowns, eyes set ahead as they continue walking down yet another vaguely familiar dirt path and over some crumbling rocks. “No. I thought we’d try a couple of places until we catch her. You know—with the power of deduction or whatever. We cut out all of the other viable options until we’re left with the correct one. Or… something like that.” She frowns even deeper at her own words. It sounded far better in her head than when spoken aloud._ _

__Parvati just grins. “Or something. Gotcha.”_ _

__As it turns out, they don’t have to hunt for long. They find Nyoka holed away under her true name in a darkened room at Stellar Bay Apartments, about six ice-cold Iceberg Aged Whiskey’s deep. She’s very drunk, but also very happy to see them. It sure beats Felix’s anger from earlier, even if his feelings were justified. An inebriated grin is always far more digestible than a growl._ _

“Ah, hey there, Cap!” She sing-songs as the door of her room slides open. Wobbling on her feet, she slings a brown bottle their way, holding it by the neck. “Fancy a drink? It’s on me. Let’s call it a celebration of our long-awaited reconsider—reconditioned—recollection-ism...”

“ _Reconciliation_ , Nyoka, and we’re not just here to say ‘hello’.” The Captain watches idly as the woman shrugs and takes another hefty swig from the bottle, her short, pink dreads swaying at her ears. “I have important news. I need all of my crew… ex-crew… together again to share it. That includes you.”

Nyoka purses her lips, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. She’s calculating the Captain’s words. It’d be far more menacing if she weren’t so blindingly drunk. As it is, she’s so far from sober that the look she serves her is more akin to childlike scrutiny, over-exaggerated movements making her seem younger. The Captain offers a weak smile as Nyoka mulls over whatever it is that she’s thinking.

“Come with us,” Parvati intones sweetly. She smooths her hands over the front of her overalls and her fingers catch on one of the scuffed metal buckles. “Felix is keeping the Unreliable warm for us and he’ll want to see you! ADA is the same as ever and we’ve still to pick up Max and Ellie and SAM! It’ll be good for us all to be back together… Even if it is strictly professional.”

And that—something about that wording doesn’t seem right. But, the Captain supposes, that’s probably how it looks to everyone other than herself. She’d practically abandoned her crew for years to pursue other things only to return with self-proclaimed ‘important news’ that simply demanded they heel to her immediately. That they return to their former Captain in their former ship. She can only hope that Nyoka can be persuaded to come with them. If not by the Captain herself, then Parvati. And if neither of them can convince her…

“’Strictly professional’? That sure don’t sound like a good time to me.” Nyoka tilts her head, almost playful, almost threatening. You never can really tell with her.

The Captain blunders, “It—look, it’s just…” She falters for a moment, really, seriously, uncertain of how she can explain this without sounding and seeming like a complete sprat shit. “I have news. It’s, Law, it’s important. It’ll get out eventually, the entirety of Halcyon will know about it by the end of this week, but I wanted to let my crew—ex-crew, Christ—know personally. You all deserve that much, after everything. So. If you’re going to come with us, could you please… do that? And if not, I suppose—I suppose we’ll just be on our way.”

Nyoka’s eyes go almost comically wide and the Captain may have laughed at the look on the woman’s face, once upon a time. Now, she can only watch with bated breath. 

“Damn, Cap. Didn’t know you’d started reciting serial performances!” And she giggles drunkenly as though she has just told the funniest joke in the entire universe. Maybe, in her state, she has. “That was good. Really.”

The Captain nods awkwardly. The sooner she gets out of this… _phase_ … the better. She longs to return to her sure, confident self of old.

“Thanks. I mean it, though.” The Captain purses her lips. “Are you coming, then?”

Nyoka doesn’t even pause. “Of course, Cap.” She glances around her mess of a room with a look of consideration. “Do you think we could haul all of this back to the ship?”

*

They do, in fact, manage to bring Nyoka’s belongings back to the ship. It’s nothing short of a miracle.

“Why do you… have so much… stuff?” Parvati wheezes in-between breaths as she drags one of Nyoka’s chests up the Unreliable’s ramp. “Isn’t this, like, too much for one person?”

The Captain would agree, but she’s rather out of breath herself. If she opens her mouth, her lungs may just collapse. She wasn’t built for this kind of work—carrying excess baggage across a lumpy, bumpy, creature-ridden landscape.

Nyoka simply grunts in response, fingers gone pale around the handle of her metal suitcase and her feet planted firmly on the ramp. She heaves a breath before she drags it up. It only moves an inch or two. Though she grumbles unhappily, she says, “You can... never have… too much stuff.”

Once they’ve lugged the rest of Nyoka’s belongings to the Unreliable’s living quarters and into her bedroom, the Captain and Parvati stumble and collapse in the kitchen area, each resting their heads on the surface of the table and their asses on the seats. They’re breathing heavily from the exertion. Felix watches with amusement from where he sits at the other side, chin in his palm.

“ _You_ ,” The Captain gripes with false reproach, finger pointed across the table and toward Felix’s chest, “You evaded duty. You left us to do all the manual labour.”

Parvati peers over her folded arms, eyes warm as they dart between the Captain and Felix. “Yep. What do you think, Cap? Punishable by death?”

The three of them devolve into quiet, childish giggles, leaving the girls breathless and Felix with a bright grin. It’s almost like the old days. It’s nice. 

“Hey, I don’t wanna be the subject of gossip around this ship, you hear me?”

Felix brightens further, looking over at Nyoka who beelines for the fridge, still a little wobbly on her feet. “Hey, Nyok. How are things with you? I haven’t been in Monarch for a while, but I’ve been hearing news from Groundbreaker and Terra 2. Are S.B.I. doing good? For the people?”

Nyoka brandishes a bright yellow Mock Apple in her hand, smiling like the cat that got the cream. She takes a big bite, leaning against the refrigerator with surprising ease. “Yeah. Things are good. People are happy. Or they seem happy, at least” She takes another bite. “S.B.I. and the Iconoclasts are actually functional, it’s crazy. I take jobs here and there to get rid of problematic creatures for them. Keeps me busy. They pay me enough.”

“That’s cool,” Felix says, pushing back his hair when it falls into his eyes, mingling with his dark eyelashes. “The Boss made a good decision, there. Making them team up.”

The Captain lifts her head up from the table and shrugs even though the compliment makes her feel warm inside. “Neither one of them were fit to keep Monarch in shape all by themselves. Working as a team is always the better option, even if you’re sometimes at odds. Working alone can be difficult.”

Felix drops his head. “Yeah.”

Before an awkward silence can blanket them, the Captain clears her throat and stretches her arms above her head. They crack and she rolls her neck left and right until it does the same. “You said—Felix—that you hear things about Monarch on Terra 2? Do you visit there often?”

“Yeah! Roseway looks damn good, Boss,” He says with a genuine smile, “They’ve really spruced the place up. Without Auntie Cleo hovering a huge, wrinkled hand over the town, they’ve managed to create something really special. The people there, they’re great, you know?” He breaks off then flushes, looking away. “Sorry. It’s just… When I’m not at Groundbreaker, I like to visit. Spend some time there.”

With suspicious, narrowed eyes, Nyoka asks, “And is there a _reason_ that you like to visit little old Roseway? Maybe there’s someone there that you—” 

“Oh, shut up,” Felix grouches, but he’s smiling. “Well. Yeah, there is someone, if you have to pry into my personal life. There’s this—don’t look at me like that, Parvati!”

Said girl throws her hands up into the air, affronted but amused. “I’m not looking at you like anything!”

“You most certainly are.” Felix licks his lips. He’s _nervous_ , the Captain realises with a deep feeling of fondness for the boy. “I went back to Roseway two years ago. You know how things were back then, in the early days of the Restoration—there we so many places that’d been left to just… rot. Fade away. And Roseway was no exception, trust me. The place looked even worse since we’d last stepped foot in there, right after the attack.

Even then, it seemed like it’d be destined to turn into another Cascadia. Auntie Cleo was clearly offering no help; it’d be easier to just leave the town to fend for itself rather than fork out a few extra Bits on resources and aid. The residents were scared of being left behind. Of being forgotten.

When I first visited, after we did, of course, I’d actually only stopped off at Terra 2 in a cross-system supply ship. I had a small job to complete, a simple delivery, but I wanted to get a proper drink before I continued the journey. At a decent bar. I didn’t show up in Roseway with the intention of helping them with their problems or making friends, but… I did. I delayed my supply drop by a week, stayed in Roseway for the duration and—it looks real good. Not quite Byzantium, but I’m sure we’ll get there some day.

I’ve been meaning to drop by… I promised I would. It’s been a couple of busy months and I haven’t had the opportunity to leave the Groundbreaker until now.” Felix smiles, almost wistful.

Nyoka blinks slowly with wide, unfocused eyes. “ _Damn_ , kid. She must be pretty special, huh? To get you so worked up like that.”

There’s a slight change in Felix’s demeanour, so minute that the Captain suspects she may be the only one who notices. He sits a little straighter in his seat and he lifts his chin toward the ceiling. A dare for rebuttal when he says, “Yeah. Yeah, he is special.”

“Captain,” ADA booms overhead, all-around them, breaking the moment, “I am sorry to interrupt the very important proceedings currently ongoing in the kitchen, but I have received a transmission from Miss McDevitt of the Botanical Labs in the Emerald Vale Region. She is on the line, awaiting your presence. ”

The Captain leaves the kitchen, apologising quietly and placatingly, and is soon greeted by the easy smile of Adelaide on one of the main monitors as she enters the control room.

“Hey,” She greets the elder woman, who dips her head in a silent reply. “Is everything okay? The power hasn’t gone out again, has it? The underground divvy wire should be functional for the next few years and it’s only been three months since it was last serviced.”

Adelaide shakes her head, putting the Captain’s worry to rest. “Oh, no, no. The power is working well, dear friend. No more blackouts, thank Law! All is well in the Labs. This is a matter of simple… civil concern... You see—and I _am_ terribly sorry to be coming to you of all people while there are many others fit for this job, but you are my most trusted friend—just beyond our township, a strange man has taken to loitering around outside the abandoned outpost, over Easterly ways, North of Edgewater.

Now, I wouldn’t trouble you lest we were gravely concerned. But we are. He’d be no trouble whatsoever if loitering were all he was doing, but it appears he has been attempting to domesticate the remaining local primals.”

The Captain’s mouth opens then closes like a saltuna out of water. “Sorry? You mean—?” 

“Those big creatures? The ones hidden away in that little gorge nest, South East of here? Big, scary beasts? Frightful things.” Adelaide frowns, the distress and confusion evident in her face. “Yes, the very same. You can see why the entire Emerald Vale Region has found an issue with the man. No-one is willing to pay him a visit in fear he releases his collection of strays on them. A fair worry if I may say so myself.”

“Yes, it is quite,” The Captain mutters distractedly, fingers on her chin as she wonders just why anyone would want to domesticate such wild creatures. She can’t imagine they make very good pets, and no individual in all of Halcyon needs a murderous pet to do their bidding—not any longer, not for the last three years. Things have been good and crime rates are at an all-time low. Murder doesn’t even bare thinking about. “Well. I can have a look. I’ll get back to you. Thanks for getting in touch, Adelaide. I’m glad things are well with you all.”

“Thank you. Be careful, Official Supervisor, and do remember to keep in touch. Bye-bye.”

The monitor fizzles away into static before it turns to black, Adelaide gone and no doubt returning to her greenhouse to tend to her plants. ADA flickers on-screen. “Is everything alright, Captain? You seem deep in thought. Should I be worried about any brain damage?”

“Yes. _No_! I’m fine, ADA.” The Captain plants herself on her chair. She eyes the controls laid out and pulsing before her but knows that ADA is all she needs in travel. “We have work to do before we find the others. Take us to Terra 2.”

The Unreliable rumbles at the command. “Yes, Captain,” ADA says, and they are once more on the move.


	2. Diversion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Ellie, SAM, and Max can be informed about the news on Earth, the Captain and her half-formed crew must deal with a strange man and his even stranger activities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, you think that this chapter is just one big, long conversation? Well. Yeah... Yeah, it is. (Almost).

The residents of Edgewater welcome the Unreliable and its crew with a chorus of ostentatious singing; they belt the lyrics from a popular song that’d been written years ago by a local songster about the Captain’s adventures across Halcyon. Though, it’s hardly like the bard was there with the Captain and her various companions, so the tales the song includes are almost all bogus and make-believe.

The Captain hates it, truly, truly hates it, but she plasters on a fake smile as she and the others exit the landing pad and throws a couple of waves toward some unfamiliar faces as they go.

“Now that was _unbelievably_ awful,” Felix whispers under his breath as they finally wade through and away from the crowd and across the uneven terrain, toward the abandoned outpost and away from the town. The Captain conceals a grin at his words.

Nyoka snorts. “For real. What were those lyrics, again?” She clears her throat obnoxiously and the Captain immediately thinks: Oh, _please_ no. “‘Our Official Supervisor is so glorious, her adventures very notorious—”

To the Captain’s other side, Parvati overtakes Nyoka’s deadpan delivery and singsongs, “Her efforts were always victorious! Her enemies were forever furious!”

And then, to the Captain’s complete and absolute horror, Felix jumps ahead of the group and bursts into a dramatic croon that any musical director would faint at. His voice is loud, theatrical, and the Captain’s cheeks feel warm.

“Well, oh, ho, ho! Our Official is the best, always dressed to impress when clearing out a smelly primal nest,” He twirls like a dancer as they walk, almost tripping over his own feet in his inelegance, which elicits a surprising and hearty laugh from Nyoka. “The Official is our beloved leader, no one shall ever beat her, and Halcyon will never not need her; she is our Official Su-per-vis-or!”

He finishes off his performance with a low bow, one hand tucked behind his back and the other at his stomach. Parvati claps with fervour, smiling wide, and Nyoka grins, subdued though it be. The Captain’s cheeks are no doubt blood red by now, but she feels lighter overall as a result of the humour.

“Thank you, Felix,” She bites, albeit good-naturedly, pointedly not staring at his flushed and grinning face as he falls back in line with the rest of them. “I hope no-one else witnessed that spectacle. I’d never live it down.”

“Oh? You’d never live it down?” Felix guffaws, “I think you’ll find I was the one acting out the performance of a lifetime, not you, Boss. It’ll be _my_ burden to carry, thank you very much.”

“I wish I had my own song,” Nyoka muses aloud. She looks at the Captain from the corner of her eye. “It must be very… humbling.”

The Captain grumbles. It’s anything but. “Yeah, yeah.”

Looking up, she can see the abandoned outpost in the near distance. The Captain isn’t scared, not even a little, but she’s wary. She never did like fighting primals in the wilderness. To the group around her, she voices this, “Look. We have to be careful here. Don’t attack unless instructed, be defensive only; we have to try and keep the peace. That’s my job, after all. Understood?”

“Keep things friendly and diplomatic. You got it, Boss,” Felix answers. Parvati nods her assent. Nyoka rolls her eyes at the command and begrudgingly holsters her long gun. The Captain will keep a special eye on her just in case her trigger finger itches. They don’t need a civilian casualty if they can avoid it. Even if said civilian is trying to kick-start his own primal zoo.

The outpost has been spruced up since the last time the Captain passed through. Even still, it’s derelict like the rest of the Emerald Vale Region is not. The post-Board years of the Restoration seen roughly eighty-three percent of the Halcyon system the subject of renovation (the Captain knows the numbers for sure, as ADA had been the one to calculate the overall effectiveness _of_ the efforts). Still, despite this, there are still some corners of the system that were deemed unnecessary or too ‘far gone’ to repair, too expensive, too inhabitable. This outpost is, as it turns out, one of them.

“Gee, Captain,” Parvati says, sounding troubled, “This place is…”

“Talk about a bruise on the landscape, huh?” Nyoka narrows her eyes, looking for something that the Captain can’t see herself. “This place should have, like, tape around it to keep people out. What a mess.”

And—yeah, it’s a mess, alright. The buildings have become rusted orange and brown where they’ve been exposed to the often-harsh elements of Terra 2, there are pieces of twisted metal and plastic strewn, discarded, across the uneven paths that pass through the area. It smells, too, of something awful. Perhaps even worse than the burning sulphuric odours that Monarch exposes unto its inhabitants. Though, given what the Captain and her companions are here for, and judging by the mounds of excrement on the grassy banks, maybe the smell is just from a—

“Primal!”

The group draw their weapons simultaneously and with great speed, raising them with little intention to shoot as per the Captain’s orders. The Captain shuts one eye, keeping the other trained on the beastly simian creature through her scope. The green-blue hue around its face, upper chest, and arms indicate that it is a hunter, and an ugly one at that; its eyes are a piercing red, teeth large and sharp, mouth open as though it will scream at their presence, charge them, throw muck their way… But it doesn’t. It just stares, unmoving, passive.

“Uh…” Felix briefly glances to the others in the group. “What do we do?”

Before the Captain can say a word, a figure emerges from one of the abandoned buildings. The man approaches with caution, but intrigue, too; he holds himself squarely yet maintaining a somewhat welcoming manner. His skin is dark even in the bright light of the day, black hair coiled tightly on his head, short and cropped but springy, losing density at the edges. He looks no older than the Captain herself—or, at least, in physical age. The Captain is certainly older than her companions if she counts her time spent frozen in the Hope. The man has a significant injury just below his left eye, grazing his cheek. It’s pale, the skin visible where something sharp has met skin, and unsightly, almost like he has been attacked by someone. Or some _thing_.

The Captain’s medical background kicks in as she catches sight of it. She lowers her weapon a few inches as the man approaches, so slowly, one step at a time, with the primal following close behind. It’s unnerving, truthfully, to have a beast so large and frightful act so calm for a change, but the Captain has her most trusted people with her (or, almost all of her most trusted people.) They outnumber any possible enemies.

“Are you okay?” The Captain asks, voice raised to be heard over the short distance. “Your face looks painful—I could take a look, if you’d like?”

The man frowns momentarily before he blinks, surprise clear on his face. His frown melts into a near smile. “Is that… Official Supervisor?” His eyebrows crawl up his forehead. “Ah. It’s not so bad.” He waves away her offer. “It’s fine.”

This close, his wound is obviously _not_ fine. It’s still bleeding a little, raw as if it happened only moments before they arrived at the outpost. The Captain wordlessly orders the others to holster their weapons, which they do. “Sir. I have medical training. I can’t stand by while you bleed in front of me. I’d feel much better if I could clean it up for you.”

“I take it this is an order?” He asks with a small grin. The Captain likes him already. “I don’t have a say in this?”

The Captain manages a smirk even as the primal behind the man growls softly. “Correct.”

The stranger tilts his head to the side, clearly thinking deeply. Considering his options. Then, after making a wordless decision, he motions for the group to follow him deeper into the outpost. And after a shared look, they do.

*

The Captain cleans the man’s injury inside one of the occupied buildings, in what the man declares to be his ‘sleeping room’, using a clean cloth drenched in some refrigerated Plain ‘n Pure Water and practically forces a Fast Ration Pill down his throat to speed up the healing process.

“Thank you,” He coughs, shooting wary glances at the Captain’s crew where they shamelessly snoop around the room, in his belongings. “Really, I mean it. Thank you, Supervisor.”

The Captain wrinkles her nose at the formality. “It’s not a problem.” She washes her hands in the nearest sink, taking care to remove the dried blood from underneath her fingernails. “And, please, feel free to call me _anything_ other than ‘Supervisor’. It makes me feel… ancient. Like the elite from before; old and wrinkled and corrupt.”

The man smiles broadly, showing off two rows of slightly uneven teeth, and his face crinkles handsomely. “Okay, I can deal with that. I’m Barney. Thanks again for the help, Patch.”

“Patch—?”

“Oh, you know,” Barney stammers, fiddling with his shirt sleeves; the crinkly material is a vibrant yellow against his deep, black skin. A beautiful contrast. “You _patched_ me up?” He smiles rather self-consciously, and the Captain feels herself returning the smile, though with a growing feeling of curiosity filling her chest. “I mean, I would’ve called you ‘doc’, but you didn’t say you were a doctor, only that you had medical training. So… Patch it is.” He meets the Captain’s eyes through his dark eyelashes. “That okay?”

Pressing her lips together to try and prevent her smile from growing any wider, any more amused or endeared, the Captain nods, says, “Of course, Barney. It was my pleasure,” and dries her hands with a nearby rag. Once dried, they find her hips. “Your injury should heal quick, just try to keep it clean in the meantime. Avoids infection.”

“Yep. Will do.”

Felix pokes his nose into the conversation, both theoretically and literally, appearing from behind an indoor column, shoulder pressed against the seemingly less-than sturdy structure. It _creaks_. He leers distrustfully at Barney, who only considers the younger man from where he sits on his bed with a faint frown.

“So, Boss, are we gonna ask him about, you know…”

The primals. Right. The Captain clears her throat into her closed fist before she turns her attention back to Barney. Serious face: activated. Official Supervisor mode: on.

“We’re here on a political, civil related enquiry. Scoping duty, as it were. Rumour has it, you’ve been domesticating the local, uh, wildlife.” The Captain glances outside through the open front door of the dilapidated building, catching sight of the greenish primal hunter, still stalking back and forth but much less destructive than she’s ever seen them. Rumour, yeah right. “I’m here to ask you, very kindly, to stop. It’s worrying the locals. Plus, the possession of wild animals with more than ambiguous intent could land you in a rehabilitation cell for quite a while.”

Parvati appears behind Felix’s shoulder. Her eyes are bright, alert. “Why would you be taming them anyway? They’ve hardly any use for someone like yourself. A lone traveller, I mean. It doesn’t make any sense, especially since the Restoration Act of Wild Creatures was implemented last year; you can’t use ‘em for any ill will… Legally, at any rate.”

Nyoka finds a spot on the opposite wall, resting her weight there, expression matching Felix’s—guarded and untrusting. She latches onto Parvati’s words. “Yeah, what about that, Barney? What does a weird hermit like you need pet primals for? Planning a violent coup that we should know about or did you just need some chums to keep you company?”

A ragged emotion flutters across Barney’s face, something not quite like sadness, but not quite like offence, either. It doesn’t last long enough for the Captain to really understand it, though. What replaces it is a look of apathy; forced, no doubt. When he speaks, he sounds put-out.

“No to both of those things, thank you very much. I’m domesticating them because primals and all their variations are expected to become extinct within the next five to six years if their numbers aren’t increased or they aren’t bred and—”

“Hell yeah,” Felix interrupts with cheer.

“— _and_ ,” Barney continues with a slight edge to his voice, “Of course, their numbers won’t increase. Since the patrols started during the Restoration period, the size of their colonies sank considerably. Now, I know they can be truly rotten animals when feral… when untrained and wild… but they are only creatures—primal, like their very name—bound by innate desires and needs that they can’t control by themselves.” Barney looks away sadly, his hands twisting together on his lap.

He continues, “They know no better. And I couldn’t bare to see them die out, to become extinct. Not while I have the ability and resources to save them. To help them. It would be cruel to allow them to dwindle out into nothing, into history and history alone. They deserve better, they deserve a chance at life.”

The Captain mulls it over. It seems plausible. Completely sprat-shit insane, but plausible. “You’re domesticating primals to rescue them from extinction? How does that even work?”

“It’s sort of like breeding, a little like farming. And in the biology of primals, once the creature is domesticated, the muscle memory of the training will transfer to the offspring.” Barney’s eyes flicker from the Captain to each person in her crew. He sighs, long-suffering, when they say nothing. “Basically—if I domesticate the remaining Terra 2 primals, we’ll never have to worry about wild primals again. On this planet, at least. They shall be tamed, and their children born as such. I’ve thought this through, you know.”

Enchanted, Parvati murmurs, “No way. You could… You can really do that?”

“Yes. I can.” Barney smiles again, both shy and confident at once. “It’ll take a lot of time and effort,” He pauses to pointedly ogle his own injured cheek the best he can, “As well as _blood_ , sweat, and tears, too. But it’ll be worth it. Domesticated primals will be far more worthwhile than non-existent primals. They have uses. Largely based on their motor skills, physical strength, and movement, but uses nonetheless.”

The Captain has to admit that Barney’s plan sounds awfully convincing. It seems like a truly cruel action, now, to have left the number of primals to die out on their own, to provide little sustenance for their survival, even if they are violent beasts prone to bodily harm and brutal murder when confronted. They’re—well—animals. Wild ones, at that, just like Barney said. It isn’t exactly their fault.

The Captain must be getting soft because she doesn’t think twice before she takes Barney by his shoulders, meeting those worried brown eyes from above. “Barney. I think that you have the best intentions. I think your goals are good and commendable. I’d be wiling to allow you to continue with this,” The Captain ignores the startled noise that Nyoka makes, as well as the disbelieving look that covers Felix’s face, “But I must treat this like the Official Supervisor. That includes the implementation of strict rules and regulations. Do you follow?”

Barney nods, looking almost as shocked as the others. “Of course. Anything.”

“Good. First: notify the entire Emerald Vale Region of this project of yours. They don’t deserve to worry over their safety any longer. In fact, I can help with this; I can easily send out a transmission planet-over… Still, you should speak to people personally. Second: I simply refuse to let you work alone. Especially if your health is in danger and you have already been injured as a result. It would be irresponsible of me. Do you have anyone who could assist you?”

“No, I—” Barney twists his mouth in thought. “Yes. I do, actually, but I’d have to contact them first. We haven’t spoken since I… left.” At the Captain’s practiced expectant look, he caves instantly. “Oh, okay. Before I came here, I used to live with a group of close friends around Roseway Gardens.”

“Oh, you lived in Roseway?” Parvati leans forward ever so slightly.

Barney shakes his head. “No. No. We were travellers. Always going back and forth between different places, other planets. The last place I seen them was the other side of Terra 2.”

“Would they be willing to aid you in this?” The Captain asks, feeling some uncertainty. If no-one steps forward to help Barney in domesticating the primals, she’ll have to consider a sanctioning of this entire scheme. She doesn’t necessarily want to punish him now that she knows his reasons but it’s her job to keep everyone safe. “Do you know for certain?”

He gives another shake of his head that’s coupled with a small pout. “I’m really not sure, Patch. It’s been a true while. We didn’t part on good terms, either. But they’re the only people who’d shared my… dream. My vision. Of a safer and more ethical Terra 2—a safer _Halcyon_ , by Law.” He lets out a low breath, shoulders sagging with it. “Do I know for certain if they’d be willing to accept my offer and help me? No. I don’t.”

The Captain steals a look with Felix, her best moral crutch, who dips his head a fraction, dark eyes sliding from the Captain to Barney after a long moment. She knows what he means just from the movement alone. Compromise. They need a compromise. She expresses this.

“Okay, Barney. I’m prepared to make a deal with you.” The man in question looks eager, but small and vulnerable where he sits on his made bed. “You put all primal-related activities on pause until you recruit at least two people to work alongside you. Then, from that point on, you are free to do as you please. Within limits, of course.”

“That means no coups,” Nyoka jabs her finger at Barney, who just grins, blindingly, and scoops the Captain up in one smooth motion to plant a dry kiss on her forehead.

“Thank you, thank you, _thank you_!” He chants sweetly, breathlessly, hands dropping to the Captain’s waist for only a second before they fall away, taking their warmth with them.

“You’re very welcome, Barney,” She manages, a smile on her own lips. “Just—stick to the rules, yeah? I’ll help you out with your Emerald Vale broadcast, to spread the message of your activities to the people, but that’s it. You’ll have to do the rest yourself. And keep me updated! I’ll leave a communication device for you to contact us.”

Barney just keeps smiling, so very sweet. “I promise. Thank you.” He turns to the others in the room who look only mildly surprised at the positive attention bestowed upon them. “Thank you to all of you, too. I—You all seem to be a very air-tight crew. You bounce off of each other,” He shrugs, “It’s real nice to see. It’s like a mis-matched family. Reminds me of my life, before this. You’ve a good crew here, Patch.”

“Oh, they’re not—” The Captain begins defensively, but the rest of her companions look charmingly sated at Barney’s kind words and do nothing to shoot down his assumptions. So, she decides not to deny it any further. “Thanks.”

They eventually leave Barney to himself after a short tour of his not-so abandoned outpost; he has pressing matters to attend to, as do the Captain and the crew, likewise, and it is best that they continue on their journey. Barney waves until they can no longer see him on the horizon.

*

The Unreliable welcomes them back with a comforting familiarity and feeling of safety that immediately makes the Captain feel sleepy, the exertion from the last day finally catching up with her.

“Welcome back, Captain,” ADA greets cheerfully as the Captain steps through the threshold and watches her crew disperse further into the ship, “Why have you returned so soon? I expected the primal-domesticating hermit problem would take far longer to dispute. Pity. Perhaps I ought to realign my systems to fix that inaccurate statistical supposition.”

“Any more of that and I’ll have you disassembled and scrapped for parts.”

ADA smiles at the Captain as she slugs into the control room. “You would never.”

The Captain grins despite herself, though she does her best to cover it with a cough and a stern look aimed at the snippy A.I.’s screen. “Don’t test me.”

She drops into her chair, swivels around until she’s face-to-face with the fringe of the Edgewater landing pad. The Captain needs a nap—maybe even a full six hours of sleep, in a bed— but first:

“ADA, could you send out a transmission around the residential areas of Terra 2 for me? Just a little something about those primals and this guy called Barney…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](https://goomens.tumblr.com) | [Commissions Info](https://goomens.tumblr.com/post/617027819411849216/my-ko-fi-is-up-and-running-and-commissions-are-now) | [Support me on Ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/nairwal) or visit my [Wish List](https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/1YCNA7VLNE49R?ref_=wl_share) :-)


	3. Grounded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another ex-crew member must be located. Ellie, that is. Some revelations take place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled finding the motivation to write this chapter, hence the delay. Still, here it is. Stay safe and considerate out there!

Lost in thought, the Captain stares almost unseeing out toward the dark abyss that is space, just beyond the windows of the in orbit Unreliable, and at the distant stars glittering and galaxies singing in wonderful, vibrant colours. They’re taking a quick rest before they chase down Ellie, Max, and SAM. If things go as smoothly as they have been thus far, it seems that it won’t be such a difficult task.

The transmission on Barney’s wild animal advocacy has been spread planet-wide all throughout Terra 2 and the people seem to have taken to his cause rather well. And quickly. The Captain feels pride at the acceptance shown by her people. She thinks, perhaps, she’s getting soft in her old age. She voices this much to ADA, who frowns. At least, in that way she so often does; the pixels above her eyes draw downward, dark red, her mouth flat. 

“But Captain… You are not old like you allude to. At least as far as the human race would discern age. Would you like to sit down and rest? I could request one of the crew members to bring you a cold glass of water.” 

Of course. Of course the Captain should have expected a snarky comment from ADA at _that_ thought. The Captain really ought to keep her inner musings to herself, sometimes. 

“I’m feeling completely fine, ADA,” The Captain snaps, though not unfriendly. Then, changing the subject before the A.I. can respond, “I think we should find Ellie. Tracking down SAM and Max should be easy enough, but Ellie and her team never remain located in one place long enough for us to know for certain where they’re camping out. Finding them before the others might make things easier if they go off-radar and we have a full crew onboard.” 

Ellie’s own crew isn’t that big, compromised of six or seven people, including Ellie herself, but they sure do travel far and wide enough to make up for it. Plus, their supply runs are commendable; Ellie’s team delivers endless resources to life on the outskirts of the Halcyon system, providing them with support they’ve had little of in the past. The Captain will forever be glad of her influence over Ellie. Making her see the true meaning of life—friendship, connections, _trust_ in others. She’s a much different person than that girl the Captain had first met all those years ago. 

“A smart decision, Captain. Shall I search for recent Halcyon registration logs for her ship?” 

“Yes, please.” The Captain pauses—realises she doesn’t know the name of Ellie’s ship, much less the individual names of her crew. Something settles in her stomach, much like shame, much like embarrassment. She should know these things. “And you… know what to look for, ADA?” 

“Of course, Captain. Miss Fenhill,” ADA continues, looking almost disappointed, but maybe it is just the Captain’s imagination running wild, “runs the _Lug Tug_ ship with her tight crew of six.” 

“The Lug Tug?” The Captain asks, amused. She thought Unreliable had been a pretty strange name for a ship. “That’s what she called it, after all? Quite fitting for her job, really…”

ADA only hums in reply, the screens around them in the control room flashing white then red, then green and blue. The Captain knows now that ADA is doing her job, searching for Ellie’s last known location with whatever means she has. The Captain leaves her to it, pads out of the room and up to her private quarters to await news. 

*

It doesn’t take long for ADA to pick up on something. She tells them—the Captain, Felix, Parvati and Nyoka, all bundled together inside the confines of the control room—that while the log registered on Scylla had been made well over three months ago, it remains the last known location of Ellie and the crew of the Lug Tug. Their best hope. 

“What business does she have on Scylla?” Nyoka wonders aloud, looking between ADA on-screen and the Captain. “That place is still a big floating rock as far as I’ve heard.” 

“She runs supplies, like me.” Felix tilts his head, a considering look crossing his features. “Could be that. Maybe she and her crew are restocking? I don’t know what Scylla has to offer, exactly, but… There could be a depot there.” 

The Captain feels that it is good enough a lead to go on. The others agree to leave for Scylla immediately. Once more, the control room is emptied and the interior of the Unreliable sees a flurry of activity. 

When they come to a stop on the Scylla landing pad, the Captain catches Felix’s bright and eager eyes from across the room. He doesn’t say anything—doesn’t need to, really. She can read him all too well. 

“Come on then. You can come too,” The Captain grins, shaking her head in amusement as Felix makes to pull on his jacket, missing the arm hole not once but twice in his haste. Holstering her modified assault rifle across her back, the Captain gestures for Nyoka and Parvati to follow suit. Stepping out into that biting Scylla air with a chunk of her old crew armed and close behind her, it almost feels like the old days. Almost. 

“At least this place isn’t as big and scary as Monarch.” Parvati adjusts her own weapon, pursing her lips out as she tightens a loose strap on her outfit. “Shouldn’t be too hard to find Ellie and her team.” 

“If they’re still here, that is,” Nyoka reminds her. 

Felix clears his throat and the three women look his way. He has his hands on his hips and an amused look on his face. 

“Seems like we won’t have to go very far. Ellie’s ship is over in the dock beyond the UDL.” He glances over toward the huge machine, finger pointing, outstretched, to show the others the way. “Probably broken down. They should still be here if they’re having ship trouble.” And he goes off in that direction, leaving the girls behind him and already making his way across the unsteady ground. 

The Captain blinks then gently pushes Nyoka and Parvati’s shoulders forward to encourage movement. “Let’s follow him.” She looks up as they begin to walk, squinting at the darkened shape beyond the UDL Terraformer. It certainly looks ship shaped. Whether it is the Lug Tug remains unseen. “He may be right.” 

Given the size of Scylla, the group manage to reach the UDL in only a few minutes in a companionable silence. Felix eventually falls back, re-joins their clique, and walks by their sides until the ghostly shadow of the unidentified ship looms high above them. 

“Halt, please, citizens,” Comes a firm voice. “Do you have identification?” 

The Captain squints into the darkness as a figure emerges; clad in a grey uniform and equipped with a long gun, a badge clipped to their jacket pocket and a small, canvas bag slung around their shoulder, holding who knows what. The guard brandishes their weapon, finger dangerously close to the trigger. 

“Identification? I don’t have anything on me,” The Captain begins carefully, truthfully, already fighting the urge to turn hostile, to adopt fight over flight, but is then interrupted by Nyoka when she steps forward despite the obvious threat of the security guard. 

“This is the _Official Supervisor_. Surely you recognise her, yeah? We’re only looking for a friend. Very important Halcyon business. Let us through.” 

The guard bristles unhappily, clearly used to people bowing before them. Most guards are the same—demanding authority and respect while giving none themselves. “I agree that that much is clear, however, I must see a form of identification to keep a record of. I do not make the rules. Now. Identification.” 

Okay. The security guard clearly isn’t going to budge, and it’d be a mess to fight their way through. And criminal. But they need to find Ellie. They need the crew back together so they can discuss the recent changes involving Earth. Nyoka is right—this _is_ important Halcyon business. While they can’t blast their way through or hunt for their respective items of identification, there is something worthwhile trying. 

Charm mode engaged. The Captain smiles. 

“Hey, look. If you let us through, I can make sure you get all of our I.D.’s within due time. I’ll speak to my personal assistant, make it a priority.” The Captain hopes ADA never hears her refer to the A.I. as her ‘personal assistant’, she’d never hear the end of it. The guard seems to soften at the Captain’s reassuring words, their shoulders losing that tough edge. “I promise. You have my word.” 

The guard bites their bottom lip. Nibbles, for a moment, with two oversized front teeth. Then, “Okay. Law, okay. Just follow me. No funny business. I will not hesitate to apprehend you, even if you are the Official.” 

After a shared look with her crew, they follow. The guard leads them around and beyond the UDL Terraformer, by its rumbling engines and groans of aging metal, looking back at them with a shrewd and watchful eye. Here, Ellie’s ship is lit by the weak but glittering fluorescents of a nearby camp. 

The Captain looks around. She recognises the land in the distance, at the rocky horizon, where she had come to Irion’s rescue all those years ago. His ship is no longer there, of course, but the memory remains. 

“Look, boss,” Felix murmurs as they walk, sharp elbow pressing into the Captain’s arm, “That’s a stocking warehouse.” He gestures to the camp across the way, the light source. “Good chance Ellie will still be in there. Her crew, too. If their ship is busted, they’ve probably been stuck here for months.” 

“Since their last registration log…” The Captain murmurs under her breath, more to herself than anyone else. “Long time to be stuck on Scylla.” 

“I bet they’ve found a way to entertain themselves,” Parvati says. 

Nyoka snorts loudly. “Yeah, kicking rocks.” 

The security guard gestures toward the open door of a building on the outskirts of the camp. “This will take you to the temporary residents, who are in the main hall. Please do not cause a scene while you conduct your search.” The guard stands back, hands resting on their weapon, and the crew step through the threshold without another word. 

It seems as though there’s a party ongoing, if the blaring music and pulsing lights leaking through the gaps at the base of the door of the main hall are anything to go by. 

Walking through, suspicions are confirmed. The residents here are most certainly having a party. The room is very dark; there is no doubt that without the party lights casting shapes and vibrant hues on every surface, this place would be pitch-black. There are streamers hanging from the ceiling of the hall, banners on the walls, tables upon tables of food and drinks, chairs haphazardly gathered around them. 

The people have formed a makeshift dancefloor in the centre of the room, dancing and laughing together, fuelled by alcohol and snacks. What they are celebrating, the Captain nor her crew can be sure, but they seem to be having a good time. 

“Well, it’s been a long ass time since I had a boogie!” Nyoka drops her coat off on a nearby chair. “I’m gonna go get a drink. I’ll come find you if I spot Ellie.” 

She beelines over to the bar, leaving the others to find a free table. The Captain plops down onto one of the available seats, already scouting the room for the missing crew member. 

“I doubt we’ll find anything, never mind El, in a room this dark and this loud,” Parvati says, turning to the Captain, speaking loudly to be heard over the music. “Maybe we should split up and search for her? Ask around? Though I don’t like the idea of dealing with drunken strangers, to be honest.” 

“Wait, I have an idea,” Felix exclaims, jumping up from his chair and nearly knocking over the flimsy table and its covering cloth, as well as everything on it. “Give me a sec’!” 

The girls watch him run off toward the other side of the hall with interest, though they eventually cast their attention back to the rest of the room, looking for any hint of short blonde hair or white jacket. Though, really, the Captain doesn’t know what she looks like these days. 

After countless minutes in which the Captain and Parvati act as some kind of serial private detectives, there is a sudden dip in the volume of the music. It has been turned down, just enough that the ramblings of the crowd can be heard and discerned if focused on, rather than drowned out. The overhead lights have been switched on, too, so everything is more visible, even though they remain dim. 

There are a few long seconds that the Captain feels alarmed at the sudden change, concerned for her crew as a result of years of having to watch her own back, and she is pushing away from the table, on her feet and making to find Felix before she realises that this _was_ Felix. Her suspicions are confirmed when, once on the dancefloor, he bounces over to her with a smile. He momentarily takes her hands, swings them side to side to the beat, before letting them drop. 

“Music is down, and lights are up, but only for a few minutes. I’ll go over to the bar. I doubt Nyoka will be doing much investigating, nuzzling an Algae Lager.” He walks off in that direction. 

Not even five seconds must pass before the Captain sees Ellie, standing not too far away, chatting to an unfamiliar face in the gaggle of partygoers that litter the floor of the hall. 

She has shaved her head. All of it, leaving only the shortest of blonde fuzz covering her scalp. It’s a look that suits her. Somehow, it doesn’t make her at all intimidating. Yet it might have, once upon a time, back when she held everyone and anyone at arm’s length, but since she embraced the life of having trust and compassion in others, she seems friendly and approachable. That, the Captain knows. Ellie smiles more than she used to—she’s smiling right now, abandoning her conversation to focus on the Captain. 

“Hello there,” Ellie grins, even wider and brighter, weaving through the few people standing between them, “Or should I say, hello, Official Supervisor? How may I service you today? A back rub, perhaps? Would you like to use me as a foot stool?” 

The Captain huffs. Ellie pulls her in for a hug without warning, arms winding around the Captain’s neck, tight and close, and they melt into one another. It’s nice to see her after such a long time. Like it had been nice to see Parvati and Felix and Nyoka. Like it’ll be nice to see SAM and Max. 

“It’s good to see you. Really.” The Captain presses a quick, dry kiss to Ellie’s cheek as they part and a sudden blush of bright red colours Ellie’s face, making her look completely darling under the faint light. “It’s been far too long.” 

“I can’t disagree, you’re certainly right about that. And,” She looks behind the Captain, eyes focused on someone else, laugh lines stark around her mouth, “I take it that you’re responsible for shutting down the party?” 

The Captain feels Felix behind her, hears Nyoka muttering something under her breath just behind him. He leans over the Captain’s shoulder, hands warm. “Is it that obvious?” 

The next ten or fifteen minutes sees a burst of excitement in the hall: the Unreliable’s crew gather around Ellie, Parvati appearing from the shadows, taking turns to share hugs and the occasional friendly back slap. When the music returns to its original volume and the room is once more cloaked in darkness, the Captain escapes the reuniting ceremony and watches from the side-lines, that familiar feeling blooming inside of her again as she catches moments between her crew. Pride and joy and love. 

And—well. The _love_ is a little bit of a surprise. 

Yet, in a way, it isn’t. Not even a little bit. 

It rings true, that’s for sure. The Captain loves her crew. Her friends, even if she remains uncertain whether they think the same of her. She loves them more than expected, perhaps. Definitely more than is entirely necessary. She has just never really recognised her love for them as real, true love. 

When she looks at Felix, she sees an equal, a fierce personality with an even fiercer stature. She sees a man who is kind, emotional and intense and trusting, and the Captain loves him. 

When she looks at Parvati, the Captain sees a woman who is smart, quick, compassionate, and loyal. A woman who would traverse the mountains to save friend or stranger. Who offers help where it is needed. The Captain loves her. 

When she looks at Nyoka, she sees a force of nature. A whirlwind of drunken chaos, but also of careful precision. Nyoka is steadfast and dedicated to her beliefs, her cause, her friends, and her own mind. Strong and independent like she was born that way. The Captain loves her. 

And now—when the Captain looks at Ellie, just across the room, laughing at a dirty joke that Nyoka has thrown at her, she sees a confident woman who managed to escape the predatory elite of Byzantium. Who stood up to her parents and managed to turn to a career which helps the most vulnerable in Halcyon, despite everything she taught herself to believe. The Captain loves her, too. 

“You okay over here, Cap?” 

“Ah!” The Captain jumps, hitting the back of her head against the wall behind her and releasing a high, embarrassed laugh at her reaction. Felix grins, though he eyes the Captain with concern. It’s a look he’s been sporting too much recently. “You scared me!” 

“Sorry. Are you feeling well? And don’t just tell me ‘yes’; ADA has been worried about you. Told me herself that she wondered whether you’d been eating enough, sleeping enough.” 

The idea of ADA worrying over the Captain almost makes her genuinely laugh. “Hm. Well, she’s certainly a mother hen. You don’t know the half of it,” She jokes. 

“It’s not funny, Cap,” Felix presses, insistent and serious. Still, his eyes are bright even if he isn’t smiling. He moves closer. He smells like soap. “We all want to know what’s goin’ on in that big, brilliant head of yours. It matters to us. We love you.” 

The Captain turns his way, tilts her head, stares at Felix’s face—so open and earnest—and she feels her stomach tighten. They love her. But…

“Look.” Voice caught in her throat; she clears it roughly. The party goes on around them, drinking glasses clinking together and music floating in from somewhere unseen. “I know you have to be cautious of me and my health as I’m the captain of the ship you’re on and all, but—” 

“What?” Felix looks perplexed, with his dark brows furrowed together, mouth open and his teeth showing. “What? No, no. No, you’re—Law, Captain—you’re our _friend_. You aren’t just some pilot that we forget about whenever we leave the Unreliable. Your health concerns us because—because we’re friends. You mean a lot to me, to all of us. You get that, right?” 

“Ah,” She replies quietly because she hadn’t, actually, known that. She’d assumed her love for them had been unrequited at best. Denied at worst. “Well. No, Felix, I didn’t get it. But I do now.” 

Felix just beams, all concern and confusion instantly gone, replaced by that joyous look he wears so well. The red and yellow party lights leak colour onto his tanned skin, making it look as though he’s glowing in this dark corner of the room. He’s very handsome. 

“That’s good, Cap. Real good.” His grin falters a little, eyes darting around. Nervous. “Look, I just… I guess I haven’t been very obvious about it, about you being my friend and all. I probably should’ve made it clearer, maybe, and you’d have know how much you mean to me.” 

“Oh, it isn’t you,” The Captain rushes to soothe the man, hand outstretched, “There’s no one to blame, really. I just—I don’t expect much, I suppose. I never thought you’d think the same as I did. As I do.” 

Felix isn’t smiling anymore. His eyes are big, attentive. Shadowed by his eyelashes. “And you… you think…?”

The Captain can’t find the words, can’t help but let her gaze settle on Felix as she wracks her brain for them. Her eyes trace his pronounced nose, his parted lips, chiselled cheekbones, and smooth, near olive skin. This close, she can see the pores in his face. When she meets his eyes again, she has found the words. 

“I think… I _know_ , I know, that I love you. More than a crew member, more than a friend tends to love another friend.” 

A long moment passes. All the Captain can hear is the blood rushing through her ears, even though the party continues at the same volume. Felix lifts a hand to his hair, pushes it back. Tucks stray tufts behind his ears. The longer look suits him. Law, it suits him. 

“Boss… That’s…” He begins, only for his voice to break. He looks away, embarrassed, but the Captain can only wait and watch with bated breath. He takes a long, deep breath before he speaks again. “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.” 

He kisses her, and it’s only a soft press of his lips to hers before he pulls back with an unusually coy look, but it’s enough. Enough to confirm that whatever the Captain had thought she’d imagined between them is real and true. She can’t help but grin. 

“I hate to break up such a touching moment, but I doubt you’re just here for a catch up, as nice as it has been,” Ellie starts imploringly, walking up to their corner of the hall. She adjusts the collar of her shirt, fingers nimble as she turns it up. “Something important?” 

The Captain’s smile withers, though only a little. “Yes. Something important. How would you like to chat on the Unreliable?” 

Ellie’s eyes brighten. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ellie's stay at Scylla will be explained in the next chapter. I promise I'm not leaving a plot hole here on purpose. :)

**Author's Note:**

> Please feel free to comment your thoughts and feelings below. Feedback is always very helpful!
> 
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